To inflate a tubeless tire on a wheel, the bead area of the tire must seal against the wheel flange. Depending on the type and size of tire, this process can be difficult. In larger tubeless tires, such as those used on farm vehicles such as tractors, inflating the tire on the vehicle wheel has been especially difficult. Sidewalls of such farm tires may be stiff and distorted, making it difficult to expand the sidewalls of the tire outwardly to make contact between the bead and the wheel flange.
A problem encountered in the prior art is the amount and flow rate of air necessary to seal the tire beads on the wheel. In the past, small volumes of high pressure air were used to quickly fill the interior of the tire so that the tire beads sealed outwardly against the wheel flange. As new larger cross-section tubeless tires became available, pressuring these larger tire cavities with this combination of small volume/high pressure air became very difficult to accomplish. Advantages would be obtainable if larger volumes of pressurized air could be utilized.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved apparatus and method of inflating such tubeless tires which is simple in design, effective in use and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous overall results.